Spill spews tons of coal ash into North Carolina river

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Photos:Photos: North Carolina coal ash spill

North Carolina coal ash spill – Coal ash swirls on the surface of the Dan River on Wednesday, February 5, as state and federal environmental officials continue their investigation of a spill of coal ash into the river near Danville, Virginia. Duke Energy estimated that up to 82,000 tons of ash had been released from a break in a 48-inch storm water pipe at the Dan River power plant in Eden, North Carolina.

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Photos:Photos: North Carolina coal ash spill

North Carolina coal ash spill – A pipe from the Dan River power plant where coal ash spilled is seen along the Dan River on February 5.

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Photos:Photos: North Carolina coal ash spill

North Carolina coal ash spill – Coal ash residue swirls in the water of the Dan River near Danville, Virginia, on February 5.

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Photos:Photos: North Carolina coal ash spill

North Carolina coal ash spill – Duke Energy engineers and contractors survey the site of a coal ash spill at the Dan River power plant in Eden, North Carolina, on February 5.

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Photos:Photos: North Carolina coal ash spill

North Carolina coal ash spill – A fresh-water mussel lies on the bank of the Dan River on February 5.

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Photos:Photos: North Carolina coal ash spill

North Carolina coal ash spill – Didi Fung, a contractor for the Environmental Protection Agency, collects water samples from the Dan River on February 5.

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North Carolina coal ash spill – Amy Adams, North Carolina campaign coordinator with Appalachian Voices, shows her hand covered with wet coal ash from the Dan River on February 5.

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North Carolina coal ash spill – Coal ash lines the banks of the Dan River on February 5.

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North Carolina coal ash spill – State and federal officials dock after collecting sediment samples as coal ash floats on the water of the Dan River on February 5.

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North Carolina coal ash spill – A canoe paddle is used to scoop up coal ash from the bank of the Dan River on February 5.

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Story highlights

A broken stormwater pipe sent millions of gallons of sludge into the Dan River

Duke Energy and regulators are coming up with a cleanup plan

Environmental activists have concerns about drinking water and wildlife

The river supplies water to communities in Virginia and North Carolina

The coal ash poured out of a broken pipe into the Dan River, turning water into dark muck.

It took nearly a week to stem the spill, which sent millions of gallons of sludge from a retired power plant into a river that supplies drinking water tocommunitiesin North Carolina and neighboring Virginia.

Tests since the spill have turned up higher levels of harmful chemicals such as arsenic in the river. But so far, officials say tap water is safe to drink.

Some environmental activists in the area say they aren't so sure. They fear the consequences for wildlife and say that the situation shows state regulators haven't done enough to crack down on Duke Energy.

The utility has apologized for the spill and vowed to clean up any damage.

"We're committed to the Dan River and the communities that it serves," Charlie Gates, the company's senior vice president of power generation operations, said in a statement Saturday. "We are accountable for what has happened and have plenty of work ahead of us."

Tests of the river last week revealed levels of copper, aluminum, iron and arsenic above state standards for surface water, state environmental officials said.

It's unclear what that could mean for wildlife in the area, said Jamie Kritzer, a spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

"It's certainly cause for concern for the long-term impacts of this coal ash spill on the health of the Dan River," he said.

Environmental advocates warn that the damage could be significant, potentially harming fish in the river and impacting the food chain.

"You have a cleanup effort that is going to be difficult," said Sam Perkins, who works for the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to protecting waterways in the area. "This shows even a small spill has an impact on the ecosystem."

Some activists accuse authorities of deliberately playing down the danger of the situation and taking too long to notify the public.

"This is another shameless attempt by (environmental officials) to downplay the risks facing the communities along the Dan River downstream," Peter Harrison of the Waterkeeper Alliance advocacy group said in a written statement to CNN on Friday.

"Are we supposed to feel good that there are only four hazardous toxins, including a carcinogen, in our drinking water supply?"

Samples taken by the Waterkeeper Alliance last week contained "extremely high levels of arsenic, chromium, iron, lead and other toxic metals," the group said in a statement.

State environmental officials said Sunday that arsenic levels appeared to be decreasing, but recommended avoiding prolonged direct contact with the river in the area of the spill until further notice.

Unclear how long cleanup will take

Kritzer said authorities have been open about what they've found.

"We're not downplaying risks. We're doing our objective analysis of what we're seeing so far, and I think we are concerned," he said. "The Dan River is a gem, and people value it throughout the state for not only being a source of drinking water, but also for its aquatic life that it provides a home to and all the recreational uses. This is certainly something that concerns all of us."

Tiffany Haworth, executive director of the Dan River Basin Association, first learned about the spill from a mail carrier, who warned that the river's water had turned black. The situation is heartbreaking, she said.

"I stood on the bank a day or two after the spill, and I can say that I openly cried," she said. "I was thinking, 'How can this ever heal? How can this ever be cleaned up? And what is this going to do to what I would consider one of the most beautiful parts of our country?'"

Now, she said, cleanup is key.

"The longer it's allowed to sit there ...t he sediment that has not gone down the river will be constantly churned up as it goes downstream, and the longer that we wait, obviously the more damage can occur," she said.

The North Carolina spill comes weeks after a chemical spill in West Virginia left 300,000 people unable to use their water supply for days. Now, a federal grand jury is looking into that spill in what one official called a criminal investigation.

In North Carolina, authorities will investigate the coal ash spill to determine what violations occurred, Kritzer said.

State and federal agencies are working with Duke Energy to figure out the next steps for cleanup, he said. At this point, it's unclear how long that could take.

Authorities were still working to develop a cleanup plan Sunday, Duke Energy spokeswoman Lisa Parrish said.

"Simultaneous efforts have been under way to not only plug the pipe and cap the system, which we successfully achieved last night, but also to test water quality. We've been testing water quality since the leak occurred and will continue to do so," she said. "Water quality tests will inform our cleanup efforts and accelerate our planning for the best long-term solution at the site."

Even before last week's spill, coal ash contamination was a concern for North Carolina officials. The state filed lawsuits against Duke Energy last year, asking the court to order the utility to deal with groundwater and wastewater violations at 14 sites where the byproducts of coal power plants are stored, according to a statement from Gov. Pat McCrory's office.

Parrish said Sunday that the utility is in the midst of plans to close the sites where it stores coal ash in North Carolina.

"Ash basin closure planning is already well under way for the ash basins located in North Carolina, including the one at Dan River," Parrish said. "We look forward to moving ahead with that project."

Key among them -- what chemicals are scientists testing for, was drinking water contaminated and will the utility change its coal ash disposal approach as a result?

According to figures released by Duke Energy, last week's spill appears to be similar to, but smaller than, a 2008 coal ash spill at a power plant in Kingston, Tennessee, which sent 1.1 billion gallons of sludge into the adjacent Emory River.

In statements announcing the North Carolina spill last week, Duke Energy said up to 82,000 tons of ash had been released and up to 27 million gallons of basin water had flooded into the river. That amount of ash, the company said, would fill up to 32 Olympic-size swimming pools.